Fit For Wellness

Think about it… If you are getting the recommended eight hours of sleep each night, you spend one third or 33% of your time resting.  If you work the normal forty hour work week, you spend almost one quarter or 24% of your time working.  How about the time it takes you to drive to and from work?  Luckily, I am a fifteen minute drive away from the hospital… so that equals about two and a half hours of commuting time each week which is only 1.5% of my time.  Of course, there are activities of daily living that require time such as eating, bathing, dressing, housework, and money management.  I estimated that I spend about 15% of my time carrying out activities of daily living… think 30 minutes each meal, dishes and laundry everyday, full household cleaning once a week, etc. 

So after sleep, work, and daily responsibilities, I have about 26% of my time leftover to dedicate to my interests, hobbies, fitness, relationships, and family. (Can you tell I enjoy math?)  I spend my “leftover” time enjoying music, favorite TV shows, movies, cooking, wine, blogging, sewing, reading, painting, yoga, walking, weight training, snuggling on the couch with Cory,  dinner with friends, holidays with family, travel… and the list can go on and on.  These are the things that motivate me to get up every morning.  Enjoying life is taking part in activities and relationships that are meaningful to you.

How about the other things that consume your time?  I don’t know about you, but I love sleep… can’t get enough of it!  And I am fortunate to be doing work that I love.  As for the other things, I try to make housework more enjoyable by playing my favorite music.   

Are you spending your days doing what you enjoy?  Research suggests that your outlook on life and the happiness that you get from life has a major influence on your health.  People whose lives lack meaning or purpose are more susceptible to depression or other illnesses such as heart disease.  Something as simple as having coffee with a friend can boost your mood.  I know I’m always happier after having dinner with a friend or watching a movie with Cory.

Good health doesn’t just consist of eating healthy and exercising regularly… mental health is an important component of health and wellness.  What do you do with your “leftover” time?  Is it time to readjust the way you spend your time?

“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” -Theophrastus